Apps & Games

The number of people migrating, buying holiday homes or spending their 3-month sabbaticals in a foreign country is continually on the rise.

For those TV lovers, an IPTV set top box is the answer to their prayers; in a nutshell, it allows users to continue to watch their favorite TV programmes whilst abroad.

Imagine a subscription service (similar to SKY) but dedicated for users who are abroad.

IPTV vs. Internet TV

Internet TV and IPTV both refer to television programming and video transmitted over the Internet. In that sense, both formats are IPTV. However, the two forms are different:

Internet TV typically refers to television broadcast over the Internet that you view on your computer in a Web browser. Examples include news programming available for viewing on the Internet, Web sites that broadcast standard television programming, and even YouTube video. This kind of IPTV is characterized by low-definition video and uneven transmission speeds.

The second type of IPTV—the focus of this article—is a subscription service delivered to your home by a service provider through a set top box, much the way cable TV works today. This kind of IPTV not only provides high-definition (HD) television programming but also interactive features that allow you to play programs and movies on demand, pause and replay video, watch Pay-per-View shows, and other features. Some providers also include text messaging, digital telephone, and Internet access in the service.

How Do You Get IPTV?

IPTV is not available everywhere. Currently, it is more widely available in Europe. The service provider My TV Abroad currently provide their IPTV setbox Freeview receiver from the UK, Scandinavia or Greece, allowing you to view live TV from these countries anywhere in the world via your internet connection.

You will never miss an episode of your favourite TV show or the big sporting events again with this system. Simply plug the Ex-Pat TV box into your broadband router and your television and you will have live, uninterrupted access to all Free to Air channels currently are currently broadcasted in the those countries.

Making the Choice

IPTV may be new, but it’s growing rapidly. Today, there are about 29 million IPTV subscribers in the world.

According to a leading media analyst, the number of IPTV subscribers is expected to more than double in the next 2–3 years. This means that IPTV service is going to become more widely available in the near future—something to keep in mind if you’re planning to purchase a new television or signing up for a long-term service agreement with your current provider.

For those looking to watch British television programmes whilst abroad, My Tv Abroad have a wide array of channels for their subscribers to choose from. Unlike others on the market, the My Tv Abroad system does not require a computer to make it work, nor does it require you to hide your location. It is very simple to use and easy to set up. All this from only £19 per-month.

If you are moving abroad or perhaps have a holiday home, now’s the time to take advantage of this great offer provided by My Tv Abroad. Click here for more details

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Parrot has launched its first dedicated games for the AR Drone 2.0. AR.Race 2 is a single or multi-player racing game and AR.Rescue 2 is a single player game, with the Drone pilot’s mission to save a stranded spaceship and send it back home, all the while battling against obstacles and hostile monsters.

Both games allow Drone pilots to compare their scores and times against others around the world, bringing another level of competitiveness through the AR.Drone Academy. Full release below with a couple of images attached – let me know if you need anything else.

AR.Race 2 & AR.Rescue 2:Compare yourself to Parrot AR.Drone pilots around the world

Need an adrenaline shot? Crave new challenges? Discover two augmented reality games dedicated to the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 quadricopter and connected to the AR.Drone Academy, allowing you to compare your scores to competing pilots from the community.Create giant race courses with AR.Race 2 or be part of a futuristic quest with AR.Rescue 2.May the best pilot win!

AR.Race 2: an aerial race without limit …– Select a gaming zone; eg your house, your garden, a forest… Every part of the environment (walls, furniture, trees…) can become part of the game as potential obstacles.– Create a course and indicate the starting/finishing line by placing a tag on the ground that will be recognized by the embedded vertical camera of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, allowing players to record race times.On your marks! Get set! Go! Your flying machine is moving fast, veering between obstacles; right-turn, left-turn. Time is running out! Step on the gas, make a loop just after the straight line and make a U-turn just before crossing the finish line…New players want to be part of the game? Add as many as you want and create infinite racesCompare your scores with the rest of the pilot community by connecting to the AR.Drone Academy.

AR.Race 2 can be downloaded free on the App StoreSM

AR.Rescue 2: Aliens may-day…

An alien rocket has crashed. Survivors have to find every part of the spacecraft to rebuild it and go back home. But they need your help!Piloting a Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, you will go through four augmented reality worlds (10 levels each) and collect, one by one, scattered pieces of the spacecraft. But be careful! Crunchers, little monsters who will devour scraps of metal, are looking for you and will do everything they can to stop you … Get your laser weapons ready, keep your head and be prepared for a long fight.Compare your scores with the rest of the pilot community by connecting to the AR.Drone Academy.

AR.Rescue 2 can be downloaded free on the App StoreSM

Available from the AR. FreeFlight piloting App, the AR.Drone Academy is a sharing and exchange platform dedicated to Parrot AR.Drone pilots. Members can access exclusive features and content including flight data and statistics, videos, photos, identification of best flying areas and places to avoid, easy video uploads to social networks and sharing platforms…

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There were three mobile games to show off during the much coveted Super Bowl ad breaks this year. The most impressive of which was Liam Neeson making fun of his Taken role for Clash of the Clans. Whilst a little predictable, there is a genuine laugh to be had at Liam’s expense regarding a Barista. Certainly a nice addition to the typical big screen trailers, hardware previews and car commercials it proves that mobile gaming is really a force to be reckoned with and rumours of a $4.5m fee shows there is plenty of money to throw about. Advert follows:

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Data from 2014 shows that 84% of time on mobiles is spent using Apps, compared to 14% on the mobile web. The App industry therefore continues to become an important area for IT recruitment growth; reportedly creating more than 500,000 jobs and becoming a $25bn economy in the US alone already.

As we wait to see which Apps will prove the most innovative and useful in 2015, we look back to the best of 2014:

1. Learn Languages: Rosetta Stone

This Android Education app won the “2014 Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award” and the “2014 Tabby Awards Winner” as well as the “Users’ Choice pick.” What makes this language learning app special is the extensive access to 24 different languages, of which the first lesson is free to access. It boasts voice recognition and the app creators have additionally pioneered interactive software to improve language learning. Nowadays, international travel is common and ambitious professionals may need to learn a language to expand opportunities to work internationally. This could be the perfect app if The Wall Street Journal is correct: “Rosetta Stone may be the next best thing to living in a country.”

2. Hotel Tonight

Hotel Tonight carries the motto ‘Plan Less. Live More.’ and scooped the Best Android App at 2014’s Tabby Awards in the Lifestyle category. The App provides guaranteed best rates at hand-picked, top-rated hotels, which you can then ‘book in 10 seconds with 3 taps and a swipe.’ The hotels are grouped into categories such as Basic, Hip and Luxe as well as ‘themed playlists’ that will tell you which hotels have great pools, for example. The Top 3 reasons why each hotel has been selected is also provided to enable users to understand the benefits with a quick glimpse. And to cap it all off, the App is backed by real people offering 24/7 customer service.

3. Marvel Puzzle Quest

This App is another Tabby Awards Winner, in the category of, ‘Game: Puzzle, Games & Family.’ This game combines all of the famous Marvel characters such as Captain America, Spider-Man and Hulk on different gameplay puzzles that give you the options of: player-vs-player tournaments; unlocking new characters; collecting comics; fighting against the Marvel enemies; and reading epic original story lines. Players gradually unlock different characters by collecting comic covers, which in turn strengthen associated skills. Users can improve their gaming puzzle skills anywhere, on their mobile or tablet.

2015 should produce some innovative and truly engaging Apps, as well as an increasing need for both freelance and permanent app developers. This article was provided by The IT Job Board, who currently have hundreds of App developer jobs available on their site.

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There is no shortage of Virtual Private Network solutions out there, they really seem to be all the rage this side of the NSA reaching into the search engines and online storages to harvest our very personal data and to build a profile on each and every one of us. It seems in the future a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, will be requirement for anyone wanting to “close the curtains” and keep themselves to themselves online. Much like Anti-virus and Malware scanners you can pick up something fit for purpose for not a lot of money. ExpressVPN promises to cover your tracks on your mobile device and provide you peace of mind when browsing on your phone.

Using ExpressVPN couldn’t be simplier. Loading the app takes only a few seconds and you are greeted with a list of networks available to you. This is were you can take advantage of simple services no matter where you are in the world. For example, if you happen to be a UK citizen and wish to access BBC Iplayer whilst on a trip to New York, you can select a Network in London and this will in turn tell BBC Iplayer that you are in fact in the UK and will let you connect.

In the screenshot above I have selected Los Angeles as a recently connected server. This will scramble any trace of where I am for the duation of my connection to the server and make it impossible for a service to track, or spy on your location.

By comparison to some other VPN’s out there there is a short delay as the app connects to the required server. Other VPN packages can connect automatically to a random server and in the case of F-secure Freedome connect instantly. ExpressVPN is notably cheaper F-Secure’s offering and whilst not as pretty the savings are worthwhile.

Once connected, that’s it. A little key icon will appear in the notification panel to let you know you are safe. You are on-line, in that country and various online services, trackers will believe this. It is important to point out that online stores might present prices in the currencies pertaining to the country network you have connected to and to remedy this you will need to switch the VPN off. However, this can also be handy for price matching and even finding cheaper deals for the international travellers.

A subscription to ExpressVPN is available for $99.95 for a year. This is an incredibly good deal if you take you online privacy seriously. There are a lot of threats out there and alongside the security come some of the bonuses of not having to worry about local internet service providers limiting what you can see and where you can see it. In addition ExpressVPN brags round the clock support and a money back guarantee if not satisfied.

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After many complaints, and in order to abide by laws set up by the European Commision, Google will no longer be labeling games with in-app purchases (IAP) as free. The complaints are due to children charging up their parent’s credit cards, without parents knowledge, from games that were labeled as free, however offer IAP.

As gamers on the Android platform, we are all familiar with how some of these “free” games work. While some can be played in their entirety with the purchases being completely optional, other games have a pay wall, or a pay to win model where the game becomes extremely difficult or tedious to play without spending money.

Google’s plans to prevent children from making IAP and follow laws set up by the European Union goes into effect at the end of September. On the other side of the fence, Apple has yet to give a solid plan on how to deal with the issue on the App Store, but did issue a response concerning the matter after a scolding of sorts from the EU.

Apple takes great pride in leading the industry in parental controls that are incredibly easy to use and help ensure a great experience for parents and children on the App Store. The parental controls in iOS are strong, intuitive and customizable. And over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked. We’ve also created a Kids Section on the App Store with even stronger protections to cover apps designed for children younger than 13.

These controls go far beyond the features of others in the industry. But we are always working to strengthen the protections we have in place, and we’re adding great new features with iOS 8, such as Ask to Buy, giving parents even more control over what their kids can buy on the App Store.

Our goal is to continue to provide the best experience for our customers and we will continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns.

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Google Now is easily the most responsive voice activated software on the planet, however is certainly isn’t flawless. There is still has some learning to do before it can evolve to a higher level of intelligence and require the execution of some called Sarah Connor. As of right now, on the rare occasions when it doesn’t quite get a command right, Google’s engineers have given it a new feature which allows the feature another chance to do better.

Now, Google Now lets you say “No, I said… ” to try again. You simply need to restate what you were trying to do or search for after saying that “No, I said… ” line. This word correction feature isn’t the only new trick taught to this not-so-old dog. Google Now also lets you control your media with your voice. For example, you can now say “Ok Google, next song” to skip to the next track in your music player. Alternatively, you can say “Ok Google, pause song” to pause playback. Google Now can also create event cards for your calendar directly from your gmail emails. On top of this it can now better manage call reminders and let you know when to get off your train or bus.

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Ballloon is a simple Chrome extension that helps users save pics, pdf files and other web files directly to cloud storages(Dropbox or Google Drive for the moment). With this extension, users don’t need to download their files from Internet first, then upload them back to Internet again. This certainly increases productivity. See how such a simple addition to your Chrome browser can make things an awful lot easier. Take for example, on a Chomebook, Google Drive is a very big aspect and Dropbox hardly gets a look in. Ballloon does not discriminate and makes the Dropbox integration much more simple.

Ballloon is the quickest way to save web files to clouds. Viewing this page with your mobile devices? Don’t worry! Visit Ballloon.com (3 L’s) when you are available to use your laptop, and you can add Ballloon from there as well.

What is Ballloon?

Ballloon is an extension which helps you collect image, pics, pdf or link directly to your Dropbox and Google Drive without downloading steps.

Download image to clouds can be extremely fast and simple, ONE left clicking is done.

You can also right click a link to save web files.

Certainly the default destination folder is alterable.

You can read the transfer tasks at Departures board.

I can’t help telling you that it’s really fast.

“One more thing”, buy yourself a better mouse.

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Those lovely people at Google are currently packing in the ultimate feature for the Chromecast, screen casting. Now, anything on your Android device can appear on the TV. Google are pushing sharing features more so than gaming and apps by saying “You can share photos stored on your phone with a group of friends, or scope out the scenery for your next family vacation together on the big screen using Google Earth.”

This feature is currently in beta and will roll out on popular Android phones or tablets from Samsung, HTC, LG, and others over the next few days. Look out for the 1.7 update of the Chromecast app on Google Play store to use this new feature.

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One of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of video game entertainment, Atari, today unveiled its new corporate strategy as an interactive entertainment production company. Atari’s approach to succeed in the digital age of entertainment includes online video games, online casinos, exclusive video content, and a robust licensing business including hardware and apparel.

Decades ago, Atari set the bar for console gaming entertainment, known by many as the gaming pioneer who brought popular titles like Pong® and Asteroids® to households across the globe. For success in a digital era, the world-renowned company is expanding its business and brands to mobile and online gaming platforms as well as completely new entertainment markets.

“Atari is more than a game publishing company; it’s an iconic brand that has established a passionate and timeless culture,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. “Known across multiple generations around the world, Atari will continue to embrace all audiences. What the company has accomplished over the years is no small feat, but there is more to come. We’re looking forward to delivering on our new strategy and engaging with our audience in new ways across multiple channels as the next era of Atari unfolds. We are leading a rebuilding exercise in a highly volatile industry, so at the same time we are also aware of the challenges that lay ahead.”

As an interactive entertainment production company, Atari is extending its classic gaming brands to various platforms including mobile (iOS and Android), PC, online and other digital mediums. Beyond re-launching its nostalgic gaming titles, the company will aim at capitalizing on other rapidly growing markets and reaching out to new audiences – including LGBT, social casinos, real-money gambling, and YouTube with exclusive video content. Atari will also continue its hardware licensing line of business, particularly for gamified hardware and wearable devices, with the goal of operating the most promising ventures at a later stage.

Within its new approach, Atari has made significant strides in 2014 alone. In the gaming arena, Atari has re-introduced the beloved franchise RollerCoaster Tycoon® with RollerCoaster Tycoon® 4 Mobile™ (currently in the Top 25 of the App Store in the United States and in the Top 10 in many countries) which will be followed by an Android version and a multiplayer game for PC in winter 2014. The company also launched Haunted House® on mobile devices, and released a new multiplayer online battle arena and crafting game, Minimum. The company has plans to deliver other popular classics, such as Asteroids®, on mobile and digital platforms in coming months. In the online casino industry, Atari recently announced a real-money gambling partnership with Pariplay and social casino (virtual currency) partnership with FlowPlay. Atari will make additional announcements across the LGBT, YouTube/TV and hardware licensing industries in the coming quarters.